(NOTE: This opinions expressed in this article are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of DerpySquad, Spazz, Marimo, or Sprocket.) When asked about potential challenges in marketing MLP as… (More)

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Well I know not everyone was a fan of the commercial idea, and I assume that is still going on, but the Brony Thank You group has come up with another idea of charitable work that I can definitely get behind. The skinny of it is a scholarship fund that would allow someone to go to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), a place founded by Walt Disney and his brother Roy with alumni such as Tim Burton, Craig McCracken and Lauren Faust. Have their copy/pasta:

The Brony Community has the opportunity to make a big impact soon, so everyone sit tight and hold onto your hooves. The Brony Thank You Fund is about to be brilliant.

We are a community of artists, of writers, of musicians. Even for bronies who do not fall into those categories, we are still a community of very creative people. It’s places like this where that imagination and creativity grows, and it’s art institutes and universities where those skills flourish and lead to big careers, and big opportunities in life. So, while the Thank You Fund has been helping out little children recently, who’s to say we can’t help out young adults a little later in life too?

It’s this train of thought that’s led us to announce a new initiative. The Brony Thank You Fund will be creating a permanent, named scholarship for prospective students going to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Cited as America’s number one college for the arts by Newsweek/Daily Beast, CalArts was founded by Walt Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney in 1961. The institute has given us some of the most incredible artists, writers, actors and animators of our time, and so much more. Graduates of this school have gone on to create, among other things, the motion picture studio Pixar. You might recognize a few other “Calartians” like Tim Burton, Craig McCracken, and Lauren Faust. We all know and treasure at least one of their works.

Let’s help give these prospective students of the arts the opportunity of a lifetime. We will continue to fundraise for ‘Toys for Tots’ for the remainder of the summer, but a portion of the proceeds will also be going towards this project. Once we reach our goal of $50,000, we will reach the minimum donation needed to endow a scholarship on a permanent basis, and we are planning on dedicating a substantial portion of future fundraising to increasing the endowment.

Remember, all proceeds from convention sales and online sales, as well as donations, go directly towards these initiatives. In order to get things rolling though, we will be holding a drawing! For every $10 you donate, you get one chance to win a copy of this very limited edition poster. Only 24 copies of this poster (shown below) are signed by all of the Season 1 voice actors and actresses, and come with a certificate of authenticity from the Hub. Donate $20? Get two entries. Donate $100? Get 10 entries, and our sincerest thanks! To donate, go to http://www.bronythankyoufund.org/?q=node/20.

Later this summer, we will be offering two more of these posters, one via a traditional eBay auction, and one live-auctioned at Everfree Northwest. But given that a similar poster went for over $4,000 at BronyCon, the drawing is your best chance to get your hands on one of these posters without breaking the bank!

Oh, by the way? How does “The Derpy Hooves Scholarship in Animation” sound? You can help make it happen right now.